NCAA Basketball Tournament Betting Preview

Wednesday, March 14th, 2018

This is the one week every year where we’re all gamblers. No matter who you are, or how much you know about college basketball, everyone wants to get in on March Madness. It’s the one time of the year when your entire office will be focused on something other than work, so don’t be ashamed to grab your bracket and use some of these tips to get ahead of your colleagues.

Florida State -1vs. Missouri – Often times, people overlook the 8v9 matchups and don’t spend too much time analyzing these games. However, this game is one where the Seminoles have a clear advantage.

FSU may have backed into the tournament, but the Tigers will be without their second-leading scorer in Jordan Barnett who is suspended. There is a lot of hype about the return of Michael Porter Jr., yet it’s a little overblown for a player that has only taken part in three games this season.

The Seminoles don’t have the defense they have had in recent years, but the offense has been solid with Phil Cofer and Terance Mann leading the way. FSU should be able to pull out a victory here.

Texas A&M (-3.5) vs. Providence – Basketball is experiencing a renaissance with jump shooting teams being more successful than they ever have been before. However, size is still important at the college level

The Aggies have two fantastic big men in Tyler Davis and Robert Williams. These two have been able to control the paint and clean up the glass all season long. They don’t commit the bad fouls that plague other big men, and Texas A&M will play around them in the post too.

While some jump shooting teams would be able to knock off the Aggies, Providence won’t be able to. The Friars haven’t been very efficient from the floor this season, and only recently have started to beat teams away from home. This is a great spot to lay the points with Texas A&M.

Upsets to Watch

Marshall +11.5vs. Wichita State – Wouldn’t it be something if a team that used to be considered a Cinderella launched another mid-major to new heights? The Thundering Herd are a much better team than people think. They play at a very fast tempo and the Shockers aren’t going to be able to wear them down like they do with other teams.

Marshall has a solid big man in Ajdin Penava and two decent scorers in Jon Elmore and C.J. Burks. Elmore is one of the best in the nation at getting to the free throw line and is a great distributor as well. This trio makes the Thundering Herd very live dogs.

Murray State +9.5vs. West Virginia – The Mountaineers were unable to pull away from a good Bucknell team in the first-round last season, and they are favored by too much in this one. WVU started the season strong, but went 9-9 down the stretch and did not look like the team many expected would reign supreme in the Big 12.

Murray State is a much better team than people think. The Racers are solid on both sides of the ball and are out to prove the moment isn’t too big for them.

One of the reasons that I love Murray State and Marshall is because both teams are facing their lower-seeded opponents across the country early in the day. Marshall and Wichita State will tip off in the West Coast at 10:30 a.m. ET and that is sure to throw off some body clocks.

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Betting Picks: Look for both Marshall and Murray State to win their first-round matchups, ensuring that one of the two makes it to the Sweet 16.

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